Hola everyone!

Well, we just finished our 5th day here in sunny Costa Rica. Actually, it hasn't been all sunny,I just wanted to make you a little jealous. We have been experiencing a misty "cat hair" rain coming from the mountains. While it has been a bit annoying with the rain, it has not hindered any of our work here. The sun and rain have created many rainbows, which is a great blessing from God.

Today, was a standard work day for us here. We had several teams working again at the local park. One crew painted the inside walls of the building and touched up some things from Monday. Another crew painted lines on the basketball court/soccer field. Several of the people from the town came by today and shared their appreciation for the work that we have been doing. That was very refreshing for a lot of us to hear, knowing that we are doing God's work.

The third crew did some work at the Vina Monte de Dios church. They painted the exterior of the walls that were installed earlier this year. Also, Lance and Ashley worked on two different paintings helping with the design of the church's new logo. We then all did some house to house prayer, and hearing all the different stories during our nightly debrief time the prayer had some significant impact on a lot of the team.

To end our work day, we had the opportunity to pray for Pastor Pablo and his wife and kids. This was a very humbling experience. Pablo was so appreciative for the work that we have helped him do over the past three years. Vina Monte de Dios is a church that is similar to our Mishawaka Vineyard in that it started in a house and is experiencing growth in the community. Pablo and his family are GREAT people so please continue to pray for him, his family, and his church.

As I write this we are getting ready to worship and then head up the mountain to watch fireworks for the New Year. I can't wait. It has been a great week with these students. It has been amazing to to see God move in their hearts and to watch them serve others. What a great group! Everyone should be very proud.

May God bless your New Year!

Matt LaFree and the Costa Rica Missions Team